


Beautician and the Beast

by MaroonDragon



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: AU, All Hales Live, M/M, Peter is a Diva, Steter - Freeform, dog beauty parlour
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-02
Updated: 2016-12-04
Packaged: 2018-05-24 08:07:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6147194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaroonDragon/pseuds/MaroonDragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peter likes to look good. He sells himself through his looks. So why shouldn't he make sure that he's as handsome as possible when he's shifted? Why would anyone want to have a dry and coarse fur when it's not needed? So he goes to a dog beauty parlour on a regular basis. When Stiles opens up a new shop in town, Peter finds way more than a new place to have his nails trimmed and his hair done. The only problem is, how can he seduce the guy when he's on four paws and believed to be just a very large dog?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A bit of a Diva

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Handsofred](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Handsofred/gifts).



> This idea was actually first worked into a prompt for omegle, but after talking with Handsofred I realised that this might just be a good one to become my next project for a steter story.
> 
> For anyone who might be worried or wondering about it, no this isn't going to contain bestiality.

Peter likes looking good. He goes for runs in the morning, he watches his diet, and he spends a big part of his fortune on clothes, and other styling products. He might be a werewolf, but that didn’t mean you were gifted a six-pack, or good looks. His father was the living proof of beauty not being part of the supernatural package. He’s not much of a believer in love, and he certainly doesn’t believe that people fall in love based on their personalities. Sure, he can admit that it’s probably the deciding factor, but very few people take their time to talk to someone who smells horribly, and looks like a slob.

 

He sells himself to everyone, simply by making sure people know he gives a shit about himself. He exudes confidence. There is no bachelor pad, but a sophisticated apartment when he takes women, and the occasional man, home from the clubs he frequents. In short, he cares about the image he portrays. So why should it be any different when it comes to his wolf?

 

Most of his family do not particularly care for their other form, other than the fact that they can change into wolves. Well, some of them can at least. Any leaves, twigs, or other filth that gets stuck in their fur doesn’t transfer when they shift back, so why bother primping and fussing over it? They are wolves. Peter likes to have a silky smooth fur though. He likes being the best, and that means that when he shifts, he wants to look the part. There is only one problem with that, once he’s shifted, he can’t actually do much in regards to his looks. He’ll be damned if he lets Talia, or any of his relatives give him a proper trimming.

 

Currently, he has Derek drive him to the town over and pretend to be his owner to get him into a dog parlour. His nephew owned him various favours, including not telling the family Peter had caught him with an Argent of all people –the break-up was rather amusing to watch-, so he just has to suck up and do it. It’s not that Peter wouldn’t prefer having a local shop. He would much prefer to have a local one, if only to avoid spending more time than necessary with his sour nephew. They had actually gone to the only one Beacon Hills had, but Peter had hightailed it out of there after she started cooing, and talking with Derek about whether or not Peter was available to perhaps impregnate her own husky breed. Aside from the rather horrendous images that had popped up in his head, Derek the bastard had actually smiled and told her they were planning to neuter him in the future, so it wouldn’t be possible. Peter’s revenge came in the form of several parts being removed from Derek’s car.

 

There have been some new posters put up around the city though. Apparently the sheriff’s son had decided to open his own dog parlour. An odd choice of a career, but from the looks of it, it was very much a legitimate shop. After passing it by a couple of times, to see what kind of quality the guy delivered, Peter decided to have Derek make an appointment. It would save them quite a bit of time each week, and Peter’s current beautician was the best choice out of a bad lot, so perhaps Stiles could improve on that. It wasn’t that the woman did not deliver any quality, but Peter just didn’t understand what it was about him that made people coo. He wasn’t some cute little pug or something.

 

 

* * *

 

“I can’t believe you’re actually going to try Stilinski…” Derek muttered under his breath as they made their way across the parking lot to the small shop. Due to regulations, Peter was clipped to a leash, but considering the looks people were throwing him, he didn’t think anyone believed he couldn’t break the leather band if he wanted to.

 

“Wow…that’s one huge dog.” Well, apparently the guy behind the counter was suitably impressed. Peter couldn’t see him properly at his current height, but he could smell a mix of chemicals, along with a lot of herbal essences and underneath all those layers, there was the sweat and pure smell of a young male. Probably in his late teens, early twenties. There weren’t any animals in the shop as far as he could tell, but there was a lingering smell of there having been some not too long ago.

 

“Yes…it’s a domesticated mixed breed. His name is Peter, there should be an appointment.” Derek was actually making an attempt at smiling. That certainly piqued Peter’s interest. There were very few people Derek actually bothered to try and make a different facial expression for that didn’t fall into the category ‘moody’. So the guy must be nice to look at.

 

“Ah right. Hale was it. I should  be finished with him in about three hours. I will call you when we’re done. Is there anything I should know? Allergies or any commands?” The voice was pleasant enough to listen to, even if his speech was a bit rushed.

 

“No, he should be fine. I’ll see him in a couple of hours then.” And thus Peter was left alone with Stiles, who stepped around the counter to properly meet Peter.

 

* * *

 

“Well, you’re going to take some time. I’m warning you though, if you make a mess during your bath, I’m giving you pink curls.” There was a hand held out to be sniffed, and while Peter didn’t exactly need it, he did it for the sake of letting the guy believe he was an actual dog. The chemicals on there were too overwhelming to really get much of a real scent though. It didn’t matter anyways. Stiles’ threat, along with a pretty face and clear confidence told Peter more than enough. This was Stiles’ domain, and Peter had no doubt that every other real dog that came through the door would submit to the guy.

 

“Well, now we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s get to work.” The leash was thankfully not tugged on as they made their way to the actual beauty parlour. It wasn’t the biggest of spaces, but it was clean and good enough quality. There was a handy door installed on the side of the tub, which meant there would be no awkward attempts of lifting Peter into the damn thing.

 

“You know, you must be one of the most awesome dogs I’ve ever seen.” Stiles commented as he got Peter’s fur properly wet for the shampoo. Peter probably shouldn’t take it as too much of a compliment, but he did so anyways. He looked like a wolf, and he should damn well be the most awesome thing the guy had ever seen.

 

“Figures Derek would have a dog like this…it finishes his whole ‘I’m dark and mysterious’ look. I actually went to school with him. A few years below him, but he’s kind of hard to miss.” Oh great, so instead of cooing, Peter was apparently saddled with someone who had a crush on his nephew. He honestly didn’t know what was worse.

 

“He was a bit of a downer, you know. Don’t tell him I said that of course, but he was always skulking. I think I can actually count the times on one hand that I’ve actually seen him smile. Not that high school has much to smile about, but you know…” Okay, so maybe Stiles wasn’t the worst. His fingers certainly were magical. Peter was getting a good wash and a massage in one.

“You’re enjoying yourself, aren’t you?” The amusing lilt to the guy’s voice made Peter open his eyes, only to realise he had actually closed them. He hadn’t even realised he had already started to slump down in a semi-boneless heap. It wasn’t his fault, the water was a nice mild temperature, and those fingers were working into muscles Peter hadn’t even known were tense.

 

“Don’t worry about it, big guy. This is much better than you trying to bite me.” Stiles actually gave him a pat on the head. Peter wasn’t sure if he should attempt to bite him just to remind him he actually was a fierce wolf and not some regular dog, but then those fingers continued their work, and he couldn’t care less if Stiles considered him dangerous or not.

 

The guy liked to talk, that was certain. Peter was shampooed, then he was given some kind of natural conditioner, which smelled rather pleasant, and got rid of most of the chemical smells from the shampoo. Apparently it was a concoction of Stiles’ own design, and Peter might be a little miffed, if it wasn’t for the fact that it didn’t smell of anything that might react badly with his fur or skin.

 

Once he was done,  he was placed on the table to be dried off. Stiles was meticulous in his work, and while peter was being a perfectly good and obedient dog, he may or may not have rubbed against the guy a little more than necessary. Stiles’ scents now contained a distinct smell of Peter along with the rest, and he couldn’t help but be a little pleased. Derek would be irritated Peter got himself all over the guy, and it would deter probably any ideas of asking the Stiles out. It would simply be too much of a hassle to go back to his other dog parlour because Stiles and Derek had broken up –and knowing Derek, that would most certainly happen-.

 

“You know, you’re way smarter than the average dog.” The comment makes Peter pause, his paw already held out for Stiles to make sure his nails were in pristine condition. The guy hadn’t even asked him to do so yet. There was no stench of fear or paranoia though, so he didn’t think Stiles had figured it out. “I mean, Derek must have trained you really well, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen one this well-behaved.” Peter almost snorted at the idea of Derek training him, but held it back. He needed to be a little more dog-like. So instead he just licked Stiles’ face, making him laugh.

 

“Alright, you big furball show me those nails.” Most animals didn’t really need much nail clipping to be done because they wore them down during their daily activities, but it never hurt to have them checked. “Well, they’re looking good. I’ll just file these chipped corners a little bit. You know, I had this woman in here earlier who wanted to know if she should have her cats claws pulled. I don’t think I’ve ever been more pissed off in my life…I’m pretty sure I will not see her, or her dog in here again, but I honestly don’t care. I don’t get how people like that can actually have pets you know…” And the rambling continued on, going from other clients, to people Stiles knew and the puppy he had always wanted for Christmas. It was rather soothing in a strange way. It helped that there was a pretty face to go along with babbling.

 

* * *

 

“He’s really well-mannered, you know.” Stiles commented as Peter’s leash was placed back into Derek’s hand as the final transaction was made, and a new appointment was set. Peter tuned most of it out as he simply admired himself in the mirror that had been placed underneath the counter. His fur looked smooth and silky, and Peter would bet his entire fortune that it felt like it too.

 

“He’s also a bit of a diva, but when you look like that, you’re allowed I suppose.” Stiles chuckled when he spotted Peter admiring himself. Peter was tempted to respond, but that meant giving away that he had understood the comment. Derek clearly felt no hesitation to openly laugh at his uncle though.

 

“Oh yes, he’s very much a diva. He gets moody when he doesn’t get his weekly wash. So you can expect him next week around the same time.” Yes, Peter was definitely coming back to Stiles and those magical fingers.


	2. Pleasure to meet you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot believe how popular this story apparently has become in such a short period of time. It's already on a third of the amount of kudos Sucker Punch has gotten in its entirety. I really do hope I can do you guys all justice with this next chapter. Sorry for any mistakes by the way, this still needs to be Beta'd.

“Dude, you can’t do this to me. We had plans man.” Stiles’ voice can be heard even outside the shop, and he’s clearly frustrated. Peter is too far away to catch the other end of the conversation, and when Derek opens the door to beauty parlour, Stiles hangs up quickly. He reeks of annoyance and disappointment, and Peter immediately resents whoever it was on the other end of the line.

 

There is genuine affection however when Stiles turns to greet him and Derek though, and he feels absolutely no shame in being pleased about that. They were two months into this new arrangement, and with Stiles chattering away, Peter was getting to know him bit by bit. The guy was smart, cute, and dear god if Peter had been human he would have been moaning at the way those fingers loosened up his muscles.

 

“Same as usual then?” There has been no deviation since he was brought in the first time, but Stiles asks every time either way. “You know, I’ve never seen you out walking with Peter in town. The only times I see him is during this.”

 

“We go running in the preserve…he tends to frighten people.” Derek replies, though Peter would like to roll his eyes at the last part. So he had scared a couple of women who had been bugging him while getting coffee earlier. He had given them polite hints that he wasn’t interested, and they still had persisted. That wasn’t his fault.

 

“You should watch out with that. Someone might mistake him for a wolf and shoot him.” Oh that sweet innocence.

 

“I’ll keep it in mind.” Derek clearly felt as amused at Peter at the idea of them being ‘mistaken’ for wolves. “I’ll see him again in three hours.”

* * *

 

There is something off with Stiles. He’s still thorough in making sure Peter gets properly soaped up, but there is none of the usual chatter, nor does he get any of the extra ear scratches. It makes things rather boring, and Peter is more than done with it. So he does what any normal dog would do, and he shakes his fur, splashing water all over the place.

 

“Come on dude, not cool!” Stiles actually snaps at him, even though Peter had been perfectly well behaved every other visit. He knows that the frustration isn’t actually about him though, but he still uses his big blue eyes and pitiful whine to his advantage. Stiles instantly gives in.

 

“I’m sorry, buddy. I’m not pissed off at you…I just had plans with Scott, and he completely blew me off because he’s a horrible friend who doesn’t know how to use a calendar. Kira has dates with him ten times a month, and then the one night we have plans for a night out, and he blows me off because he accidentally also planned a date with het.” Oh for god’s sake. This was sounding an awfully lot like some kind of misguided love triangle.

 

“I mean, I’m not in a relationship with Scott, he’s my brother…but he’s been my best friend since we were like seven years old. Now it’s Kira this, and Kira that. She’s nice and all that, but for fucks sake, does it all have to be about her? It’s Allison all over again.” Stiles seriously needed to get some better friends in Peter’s opinion, but it was fairly hard to express that as a dog.

 

“I don’t know, maybe I’m just being a jealous ass…I mean, why is it that everyone seems to be dating the moment you’re single? Then again, you don’t really have to worry about that, do you?” Thank god Stiles went back to getting him washed up. There was only so much fun to be had when you couldn’t really show you understood the conversation. Besides, wet dog was not a good look for Peter.

 

“You probably have all the female dogs lining up for you.” Well, Peter wouldn’t say that, but he certainly got his fair share of females…just not dogs, obviously. He would have grinned if it wasn’t for the water running down his fur.

 

“You know, Mrs. Brunsky from the other parlour was wondering if I could pass along Derek’s information to her so she could contact him about you. I told her I believed in client confidentiality…and I’m tempted to report her to the ASPCA for illegal breeding of dogs.” Stiles huffed, opening the little door of the tub so Peter could get out and onto the lowered table to have his coat dried. Peter honestly was surprised the woman was so hung up about it, but he had to admit he was amused by Stiles’ response to it. Perhaps he should have her reported. He doubted that this was the first time she tried to get her dog knocked up.

 

There was a moment of silence as Stiles moved around with the blow-dryer. The guy clearly was lost in thought, and Peter honestly didn’t mind so much this time around as the stink of irritation and disappointment had disappeared. He just played the good dog as the hot air got rid of the heavy weight of the water in his coat.

 

“Maybe I should ask Derek out…would you mind if I did that?” Peter would very much mind if he did that, and he truly wished he could say something right now about it. Unfortunately he didn’t exactly have the option. Derek was completely unsuitable for Stiles, and Peter was not going to switch to another beautician again. He liked Stiles. There was no cooing, no whining, no ‘Who’s a good boy’ or any harsh commands. He was not risking it all because Derek liked the sight of Stiles’ ass.

 

“I mean, he’s pretty hot, and it’s seriously been way too long since I’ve gotten laid. Like, months here. I need it.” Peter was fairly certain that Stiles would be mortified if he knew he wasn’t talking to a regular dog here. Still, Stiles’ dry-spell wasn’t going to change Peter’s opinion.

 

“Scott and I were planning to go clubbing tonight, and I had been hoping to get rid of my streak of bad nights. I’m not expecting anything with strings attached, I just need to get laid you know…then again, maybe I shouldn’t sleep with owners of my clients.” Thank the moon the guy had some sense in him.

 

His eyes followed Stiles as he moved to grab a brush to comb Peter’s fur, watching him bend over, he pondered on whether or not his calendar was free this evening. If Stiles was even considering Derek, then he truly must be desperate. Peter really wasn’t going to let it happen that Derek might just take him up on his offer. What could be the harm? Stiles didn’t know Peter was also a werewolf, so he’d never figure out that his one night stand was his weekly appointment for a trim in his salon.

 

* * *

 

The club was loud, and not Peter’s usual scene, but that didn’t matter much. It hadn’t taken much to figure out where the guy liked to go clubbing, and considering Peter already had a date and time, it wasn’t that difficult to find Stiles. Currently the guy was on the dancefloor, looking a little bit spastic as he moved around. He clearly was in favour though, if the other bodies pressing against him were any indication.   
  
“My turn now..” Peter purred, sliding between Stiles and some other handsy dancer. There was a small token of protest from the other man, but Peter didn’t bother paying attention to it.

 

Two brown eyes stared at him in surprise, before an impish smile appeared, and Stiles just moved along with Peter instead. Clearly the age, or sudden appearance, didn’t really matter much to him. It was difficult to tell whether or not Stiles was attracted to him with all the other smells of sweat and hormones in the air, but Peter didn’t need his scent right now to know the guy was interested. They were only half a dance in and the proof was already chubbing up against his thigh.

 

“Want to get out of here?” No names exchanged, no words even, and yet Stiles was already nodding along enthusiastically. Christ, he would get himself killed this way. No wonder he needed a wingman to make sure he didn’t end up ditched in an alley somewhere.

 

Stiles is eager, and so compliant. Quite a difference from his usual no nonsense attitude in his parlour. He tasted of salty sweat, and the slightly chemical tang of aftershave, but underneath all that he was absolutely delicious. Not to mention feisty. Stiles might let Peter set the pace, but he gave as good as he got. Teeth scraping his neck –Peter only barely remembered to warn him not to leave hickeys, so he wouldn’t have to explain in the morning how they had disappeared-, fingers digging into his ass, and pushing and pulling on Peter until he got what he wanted. Not that Peter wasn’t all too eager to comply. Stiles was so high strung that every touch seemed to make him arch of the bed, letting him make the most delicious sounds.

 

Almost two hours after they’ve left the club, they collapse in a sweaty mess on the bed, cum drying on their skin, and the blissful boneless feeling of euphoria still thrumming in their veins. Peter was pretty damn proud of himself if he was honest.

 

“I should go…thanks for the night though.” Stiles’ voice is hoarse from his earlier moans and screams, and Peter just can’t let him go yet.

 

He wants to see  how often he can make the guy scream, once they’ve had some sleep and some breakfast perhaps. Stiles looks delicious like this, and Peter is anything if not a good lover. Besides, with the way Stiles’ eyes are starting to droop, he might just actually crash into a tree on the way home. He did not go through all this trouble of making sure Stiles was sexually satisfied enough to keep away from Derek, only to end up with him wrapping his car around a tree.

 

“Stay, you can leave in the morning.” He orders, wrapping his arm around the pale waist and tugging him back onto the bed.

 

“If this bed wasn’t so damn comfortable, and you weren’t so damn hot, I would object to this.” He hears Stiles mutter, and it makes him chuckle. “I’m Stiles, by the way.”

 

“Pleasure to meet you Stiles, I’m Peter.”


	3. Call me Maybe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments and the kudos I've gotten from everyone! I'm really happy you guys all seem to like the story so far.

Peter had been absolutely positive that Stiles would be happier after their night, and rather spectacular morning, together. They had  fun, and Stiles had had enough orgasms to make up for the past months of not getting any. He was wrong though.

 

Stiles was as distracted as he had been the week before, and the air tasted of a bitter disappoint, even if there was no real hurt or clear reason for Stiles to be upset. Peter had no clue what had happened as to why the guy would still feel miserable. Sure, Stiles was his chatty self, but Peter could smell it on him. There was no way of asking though, and Stiles wasn’t really agitated or moody, so Peter couldn’t exactly pull the same stunt like he’d done the week before.

 

It wasn’t until Stiles was brushing his fur that the real reason came out.

 

“You know, sometimes I had the same kind of dating life as you dogs do. Just love ‘m and leave ‘m. It would be so much easier.” The guy sighed, taking his time with the brush, even though it was hardly necessary.

 

Really, Stiles had met someone else in those six days Peter hadn’t talked to him? Cocking his head, he perked up his ears, knowing he looked like he didn’t understand a word of what Stiles was telling him.

 

“I mean, I know I shouldn’t expect anything, because I kind of went in with the whole idea of a one-time thing…but I kind of like him. He didn’t call though, even though I did leave my number on the table when I left.” Seriously, Stiles had slept with someone else and now he was whining about the guy not calling?

 

“Maybe I should have made it a bit more obvious than putting it underneath my coffee mug, but I figured this way he could at least pretend he didn’t see it or something if he didn’t want to call. Which he obviously didn’t. I mean seriously, how pathetic am I to still check my phone for a guy who I slept with a week ago?”

 

Peter blinked. He hadn’t seen a number on the table. Stiles had snuck out while Peter had been in the shower, and he had assumed the guy hadn’t wanted anything else from him, which was just fine. They had a great night, but Peter had been under no impression of continuing it afterwards. Wait, there had been a piece of paper stuck in the sink…it must have clung to the coffee mug when Peter had picked it up to wash it up.

 

“I just enjoyed the night you know. Admittedly, we didn’t talk much, and he’s way older than me.” Peter sniffed at that. He wasn’t that much older, thank you very much. Sure, he probably shouldn’t be aiming for guys Stiles’ age, but a decade wasn’t worth that much exaggeration.

 

“He looks good though…I mean, compared to most beer guts guys my age are sporting, he’s fit.” Peter had to resist the urge to puff up his chest, but damn straight he was in better shape than those college kids.

 

“He was named Peter as well, and he too had blue eyes.” Stiles chuckled, making Peter wonder for a moment if the guy had figured it out, but all he got was a gentle caress from the brush. “You two probably would like each other. I saw his bathroom. He has more products in there, than I have in here for all of my customers.”   


Peter felt absolutely no shame at that declaration. He looked good, but if Stiles expected that to just appear out of nowhere, he really needed a reality check. He had to admit, the kid didn’t know how to style himself much, but the conditioners he made were fantastic. As much as the rest of the family mocked him for his weekly appointments, his youngest nieces and nephews had no problem in rubbing against the silky feeling fur.

 

“I don’t know, I probably would be aiming too high anyways. I mean, you should see his apartment…and I checked his book collection, he has some serious stuff in there, and I don’t think they’re there just to look like he reads.” No, of course Peter didn’t just have them to look intelligent. He liked his literature.

 

“He even has Star Wars in his collection of DVDs…he’s basically perfect. I mean, I’m not horrible looking, but there is my league, and then there is his league.” Stiles gestured with his hands, making the brush clatter to the ground as it slipped from his fingers. Just how much of Peter’s apartment had Stiles explored while Peter had been otherwise engaged? He had been in the shower for about twenty minutes, yet Stiles had checked out his books, his movies, left his number, and snuck out in that timeframe.

 

The whole ‘I’m not good enough’ spiel was getting a little boring though, so Peter did what always seemed to work, and licked Stiles across the face. The guy needed to get some confidence. Nothing was hotter than confidence. Then again, Peter might have knocked it down a couple of pegs by not calling.

 

“Yes, thank you, furbal. At least one Peter loves me I suppose.” Peter nearly makes the kid fall off his rolling chair when he barks, and he takes quite a bit of satisfaction from that. Stiles will never know that Peter’s laughing at him after all.

 

 

* * *

 

“This is Stiles.” The voice on the other end is decidedly guarded and Peter wonders if the guy gets many weird phone calls from unknown numbers.

 

“You are not an easy guy to track down. I’m afraid I washed away your number when it got stuck to the bottom of your mug.” Well, it’s not a lie, aside from the tracking down part at least. Peter knew exactly where to find him after all.

“Oh, hi Peter. It’s not a problem, I didn’t expect you to call anyways.” Yeah, and all that pouting was just because he had a bad hair day.

 

“Why wouldn’t I call? I certainly enjoyed myself that night…and well into the morning. Those fingers of yours are downright magical.” He relishes the spluttering on the other end of the line. Stiles really was adorable.

 

“Well, you’re not so bad yourself. It could have been better, but I suppose I would need another round just to have a little more material to compare it to.” Peter can’t help but grin at that. Adorable he might be, but he was also a little shit.

 

“Well then, how about this Saturday we’ll go out for some dinner…I also hear that the latest Star Wars movie is still in theatres, if you’re interested in those movies that is.” Of course he already knows that Stiles is interested, but he can’t exactly tell the guy he knew that already. Peter doesn’t want to come across as a stalker. Besides, the slight choking noise Stiles makes, with the ‘you’re fucking perfect’ muttered under his breath, is a little amusing.

 

“Dude, I would love to go, but can I pick the restaurant? I’ve seen your apartment, I’m not a black tie kind of dinner date.” Peter can admire the honesty in that. Stiles isn’t going to pretend he’s in the least bit comfortable with going to some fancy restaurant, not that Peter had expected him to.

 

“Sure, you can choose. Just let me know so I know how to dress it down.”

 

“Don’t become a dick now.” Stiles huffs, and Peter has to smother a laugh.

 

“I was under the impression you rather enjoyed my dick.”

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow Peter, I’ll text you the restaurant.” There is a click on the other end as Stiles disconnects the call, and he shakes his head in amusement, before heading into the bedroom. He needed to find a proper outfit after all. He had a date.

 

* * *

 

 

“Fuck, Peter!”

 

“You want more of that?”

 

“I’m going to ride you into the ground.”

 

“You’ll need to go harder for that.”

 

“Jesus fucking Christ, Peter!”

 

“I told you I was good at this.”

 

“You’re totally wrecking me.”

 

“Then you shouldn’t have challenged me.”

 

“I swear, you’re cheating in some way.”

Peter laughed, swerving his Mario Kart around the bend on the track, passing Stiles who still needed to go another round before he was finished. This wasn’t exactly how he had planned for the night to go. Sure, dinner had been great, the movie had been fun, and afterwards they had discussed the various plot holes and which parts of the Star Wars collection they loved the most. Going back to Stiles’ apartment had been with the plan of sex.

 

Instead, they were sprawled across the couch, yelling obscenities at one another as they played various games. Peter pretty much annihilating Stiles in every single one of them. It was probably the weirdest date Peter had ever gone on, but then again, he didn’t make a habit of dating people younger than him unless it was purely for sex.

 

Crossing the finish line, he tossed his remote to the side, waiting for Stiles to finish. It’s already four AM, and Peter is fairly sure that they’ll soon be seeing light coming through the curtains.   

 

“How can you be this good at these games? Aren’t you supposed to be playing checkers or something at your age?” Stiles is honest to god pouting, and it’s adorable.

 

“First, should you really be making ‘you’re so old’ jokes when you’re sleeping with said senior? Secondly, I have younger nieces and nephews, I’ve been playing against them for years.” And Peter also simply was a bit of a nerd when it came to these games. Not usually something he did on a first date.

 

“Right, I still find it ridiculous Derek actually named his dog after you. He’s just as vain as you though, so I guess you two are quite alike.” Peter gives Stiles a flick on the nose for that comment. It seemed like the easiest way to go. Peter couldn’t exactly deny being a Hale, so Derek’s dog was simply a gift from Peter years ago, and being all innocent and adoring of his uncle, the dog had been named after him.

 

“Well, it’s a handsome dog, I’m a handsome man. It’s good thinking. Besides, I would have taken the puppy back if it had gotten some ridiculous name like ‘Thunder’ or ‘Pookie’.” There was a moment of silence, and then suddenly Stiles is laughing his ass off.

 

“I’m sorry, I was just imagining Derek trying to call his dog back and  yelling ‘Pookie’ all over the park.” Peter joins Stiles in his laughter at that particular image. It truly would have been amusing to see his sour nephew run after something named like that.

 

The laughter dies down though, and he catches Stiles yawning. Clearly sex wasn’t going to happen that night, and while Peter is a little disappointed, he honestly had fun. He couldn’t remember the last time he had a date that wasn’t all about the sexual aspects of it.

 

“Come on, let’s get you into bed before you fall asleep on the couch. It’s horrible for your neck apparently.”

 

By the time the sun is fully up, they’re snoring away in Stiles’ bedroom, still fully clothed and wrapped around one another.


	4. Shameless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure I love the way this chapter turned out, (and I should probably re-check this at a later date concercing spelling/grammar errors), but I wanted to give you guys an update.

Peter knew he should probably stop going to the beauty parlour, or he should stop seeing Stiles. It’s probably more than a little unethical to listen to the guy talk about his problems in life, when he knows that Stiles will never actually tell him those things while they’re on a date. The problem with it, is that Peter is a highly selfish being. He doesn’t deny that he is, and he’s never going to apologize for it.

 

He likes being around Stiles in both forms, and sacrificing one part of the relationship for another means giving something up. Either he gets to date Stiles, which will no doubt end at some point, or he gets to spend time with him as a client and end up with the softest fur, and well-trimmed nails a wolf can have. Peter doesn’t like the ‘or’ in that sentence. He wants both.

 

It’s not like he can see their relationship lasting very long. Peter doesn’t do monogamous, and Stiles is still rather young and probably just sowing his wild oats. So really, what’s the harm in continuing both? The guy isn’t suddenly going to realise that Peter is also in fact a very large wolf that’s been getting his hair done in his salon. Besides, it does absolute wonders for his ego –not that he needed it, mind you-.

 

“He actually called you know. I didn’t expect him to.” Stiles chats as does his best to get the twigs, and other stuff out of Peter’s fur. Peter had decided to give him a bit of a challenge, just to make sure this visit would last a little longer. He had pointedly ignored Derek’s raised eyebrow.

 

“The man knows his Star Wars, which is very much an improvement on spending time with Scott, who seems to have absolutely no clue what even the difference is between Star Wars and Star Trek.” Peter suppresses the snort at Stiles’ clearly offended look. Like Scott had personally attacked him by not understanding such a simple concept.

 

“Talking about Scott, he called me last week. Apparently his tires got slashed during his date with Kira. Which is crap for him of course, and I do feel a little bad for him, but I kind of consider it karma for ditching me on our night out.” Well, Peter would consider it his duty rather than karma, but he was never going to confess to having used his perfectly trimmed nails to slash those tires. What Stiles didn’t know, couldn’t upset him.

 

 

“Anyways, I have to admit I don’t know yet what to think of Peter…I mean, he’s great and all, but I’m not sure he’s really the kind I’d introduce to my dad.” Peter let out a soft growl, which Stiles interpreted as him being annoyed at Stiles tugging too hard on a twig that had gotten stuck in his fur. Peter was perfectly good ‘dating material’.

 

“Sorry, I’ll try not to pull too much. I’m nearly done anyways, and then I can wash the dirt off.” There is a moment of silence before Stiles continues his rambling again. “He has money, and he’s nice, but I don’t think my dad would like the idea of me coming home with a guy who is closer to him in age than he is to me.”

 

“Then again, I think he’s still kind of hoping I come home with a woman rather than a man. It increases the chances of grandkids after all.” Peter might have to adjust his ideas about Stiles sowing his wild oats if he was actually considering his potential dates to already be the marriage material kind of relationships. He wondered what the sheriff would say about his son coming home with a male werewolf. It certainly would be a fun meet-the-parents situation.

 

“Then again, the sex is pretty fucking fantastic.” Damn right it was. Peter might be older, but he had a stamina that easily rivalled Stiles’, and the years of experience to make it good. This was why he didn’t feel too guilty about coming back to Stiles. He shamelessly liked being complimented.

 

“I probably shouldn’t be talking to you about this…then again, you can’t exactly tell Derek, or Peter himself.” Peter had to admit that he was starting to wonder what Stiles talked about to all the other pets that came to his parlour for treatment. Did that fluffy poodle that lived in the apartment across from him know that he had a nicely sized dick and knew how to use it?

 

“You’re just so fucking easy…I mean, no growling, biting, unless I grab that brush you don’t like, and you just follow directions. It makes it easy to get distracted from trying to calm you.” Peter was exceedingly thankful Stiles didn’t feel the need to constantly tell him he was a good boy and how pretty he would look when they were done for the day. He might just change his policy of not biting the guy if he did that.

 

“Anyways, I think I might accept Lydia’s offer of setting me up on a blind date. It’s not like Peter and I are exclusive. We’ve only had one date. I sincerely doubt that it’s going to work out anyways. We’re not exactly on the same level.” Seriously? Peter had gone through all this trouble to try and make Stiles happy, and now he was going to try dating someone else? Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen. Who did this Lydia Martin think she was? Peter made the effort to build up the guy’s confidence, and she was setting Stiles up with someone probably less superior than him.

 

Peter may have been a little more petty the rest of their appointment. Pressing himself against Stiles while still soaked from the bath, and growling every time the guy even came close to making a mistake. He ignored Derek’s raised eyebrow at the sight of Stiles’ wet clothes and general mood after Peter put up such a fuss. He did not need to explain anything to his idiotic nephew. He would not understand anyways.

 

* * *

 

Peter wasn’t a stalker. He truly wasn’t. Stiles rejecting an offer for another date, because he already had ‘plans’ was suspicious though. Stiles had been moaning about not having a social life outside of work before, so it could only mean that the night Peter had suggested was meant for the elusive blind date. Peter was not going to confess to then checking Stiles’ facebook page to see if he had made any updates as to where he might be going.

 

Seeing the date in action however, while pretending to have just gone to the same café for a cup of coffee, was downright pathetic. Theo Raeken looked charming at first. He wasn’t too bad to look at, had a nice smile, and seemed well mannered. Peter however worked as a freelance lawyer for the supernatural, and he worked with bulshitters like that on a daily basis. The guy was a complete fake.

 

Admittedly, for someone his age, he was a skilled liar. Even Peter would have probably dismissed him at first glance. Well, he would have if he wasn’t naturally suspicious of everyone.

 

The smooth talking charm had glitches in it though. It was noticeable in the way he snapped at the waitress who interrupted them a moment too early, or the way his smile tightens when Stiles said something he didn’t quite like the sound of.

 

Peter expects Stiles to fall for it. He was after all talking about the guy who didn’t bother exchanging names with the person he went home with until after sex. Stiles’ sense of self-preservation seems rather defective. Apparently reading people is in fact something he’s pretty good at.

 

By the time Peter arrives, they are already nearing the end of their first round of drinks, and while Stiles seems suspicious, he has not dismissed Theo yet. Despite him having probably already realised that his date’s friendly personality is a scam, Stiles is nice enough to give the benefit of the doubt for now. At least, Peter assumes that’s the case, because he can’t imagine why Stiles would stick around otherwise.

 

Peter is smothering his laughter as the second round of drinks comes to a close. Stiles is outright antagonizing his date by now. Every attempt of Theo to remain even remotely well behaved is constantly thwarted by Stiles pushing his buttons by rebutting his arguments with a well-placed sarcastic quip. He’s not surprised that Raeken not even pretends to get a call, but immediately makes it clear he thinks Stiles isn’t worth his time. Stiles for his part doesn’t seem to bothered by that statement.

 

Peter gives it a minute before closing the book he’d been pretending to read, and moving over to Stiles’ booth.

 

“Are you stalking me?” The guy narrows his eyes at him, but there is no smell of paranoia. If anything, Stiles seems to be pleased to see him.

 

“I actually come here quite often. You did after all have your date two blocks from my apartment.” Peter hums, and it’s not a lie. He did pick up his morning coffees at this particular café.

 

“Who said I was on a date?” Stiles smirks, raising an eyebrow. Right…Peter could hardly tell him he knew the guy had no social life.

 

“I caught the end of the conversation. Delightful guy I’m sure.” He smirked. “Really Stiles, you gave up a night with me for that?”

 

“Who says you’re such a catch?” Peter would like to tell him that Stiles waxing poetically about Peter’s skills in the bedroom was a clear sign Stiles thought him to be quite a catch, but he figured that might be giving things away.

 

“I happen to know I’m a catch. Though your abysmal skills at Mario Kart does make me doubt our compatibility. Thankfully you make up for it by your very skilled tongue.” He wriggled his eyebrows, making the guy laugh.

 

“I’ll have to make sure I practice enough then.” And that was exactly what Peter had been hoping to hear.

 

“I have no problem with facilitating a few extra lessons if you want. I believe I did mention something about my apartment being nearby.” There were no other words needed as Peter dropped a couple of bills on the table for the waitress to deal with as they left the café.

 

* * *

 

“You know, your bed is really unfairly comfortable.” Stiles muttered, staring up at the ceiling of the room. Peter himself was lying next to him, their sides pressed together as they caught their breath after a rather vigorous round of sex.

 

“I like the finer things in life.” He shrugged, running his fingers through Stiles’ hair, feeling sated and happy.

 

“No kidding, I feel like I should start wearing high brand clothing just so I won’t clash with your interior. Is that why you prefer having me out of my clothes?” Peter couldn’t help but snort at that.

 

“There are many reasons as to why you look much better without your clothes on, but clashing with the décor of my apartment isn’t on there.”  Easier access to all that delicious skin was though. Rolling over, he bracketed Stiles between his arms, catching that deliciously plump mouth in a searing kiss.

 

“I like the finer things in life, Stiles, which includes the people I bring home with me. Do I look like the kind of guy who settles for anything?” Peter didn’t have to settle for anything, because he knew he could get quality material any time he liked. Stiles was a bit of a diamond in the rough perhaps, but Peter always had had an eye for things that could turn out to be great.

 

“Just so we’re clear though, I like my plaid. I’m not ditching it, no matter what you or Lydia will tell me.” Stiles warned, giving him a grin.

 

“That’s alright, I will take great pleasure in taking those monstrosities off you.” Peter returned the grin, before deciding they could do much better things with their night than talking.   


	5. A neat trim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. I'm doing quite a bit of research for uni at the moment, and it's leaving my brain rather mushy. I do hope the next one will be up sooner, but I can't make any promises. I'm thrilled to see so many people enjoying my story though!

Peter knows he looks miserable, but Stiles’ ‘What the fuck happened to him?’ is still completely unnecessary. The fact that Derek called him crazy for even going to the dog parlour in his current state means he can’t even garner some sympathy from his family. Not that he truly expected Derek to have great bedside manners, but it’s the thought that counts.

 

“A wild animal in the preserve got him. He wanted to come here though, so I figured why not.” Derek shrugs, already having a lie on the tip of his tongue. “He was waiting by the door and everything.” Maybe he was pushing it though.

 

“Did you contact the wildlife and animal control? He looks like he got into a brawl with an actual wolf. Whatever it was, they should probably be notified.”

 

Well, Stiles wasn’t that far off. Peter had run into an asshole of an alpha who was looking for some new territory. He was lucky the guy hadn’t been an alpha or wolf for long, meaning that his brute strength wasn’t going to win from Peter’s skills as a fighter. Unfortunately Talia showed up before he could land the killing blow, leaving him with a lot of wounds, but no alpha-hood to show for it. It was safe to say he wasn’t talking to his sister at the moment. Derek had become their messenger, which meant he delivered messaged from Talia, and Peter ignored them.

 

“Okay…well, I’ll try to be careful then, and leave the soaps for some other time.” Stiles gave him a look that made it clear he very much believed Peter to be in need of a vet rather than a beautician.

 

Stiles was indeed very careful as he washed him with a soft spray rather than the usual firmer shower to get rid of all the dirt and really get him wet. It was a testimony to the damage done that even now, after having showered when he’d shifted back to human form, he was still bloodying the water from the wounds that still bled a little. It wasn’t extremely pleasant, but keeping them clean was more important than comfort at the moment. Werewolf or not, healing wounds when there was dirt in them were pretty fucking excruciating.

 

Stiles’ careful fingers working into the fur to get the clumps of dried blood cleared away were nice though. Peter felt like he could finally collapse and give into the fact that it really fucking hurt. Stiles didn’t know any better than him simply being a dog. Peter wasn’t Talia’s enforcer, or the younger brother who had to fight for a scrap of respect within the family because he wasn’t an alpha, or seen as an equal because of him being a kind of surprise after more than a decade since Talia and his other brother had been born.  
  
Peter never got to be petulant. Sure, he could be petty, but not in a way that could actually be traced back to him. Ever since his nieces and nephews had arrived, he had to prove even more so that he wasn’t a kid. That Talia wasn’t his mother, but actually his sister, and that he had valuable things to say. Even now in his early thirties, his opinions still got dismissed far too often, because in their eyes he was still the younger idiot brother.

 

So he let himself lean into Stiles and whine pitifully when there was a particularly sharp jab of pain. He was there to be pampered, so why not allow himself to really get the full experience?

 

“I think we need to give you a shave…” Wait? That wasn’t the plan. Peter liked his fur. He didn’t want to become some hairless mongrel. He could hardly protest though.

 

“It’s not going to be everything, just a few inches so you don’t end up with large clumps of bloody hair.” Stiles hummed as he guided Peter up unto the table, grabbing the trimmer and selecting a specific shear for it. Well…Peter could see the logic in that. He had thick long hairs as a coat, and with the wounds still bleeding, it would be logical to make it easier to access. He just didn’t like the idea of having random chunks of fur missing.

 

“Don’t look at me like that, I am very much capable of giving you a nice trim. I’ll make sure you look good.” Stiles chastened him as he glared at the trimmer, already inching away. He wondered if he could make the jump of the table without irritating his front leg even more. He was already limping. The last thing he needed was some awkward race with Stiles around the shop. He was more dignified than that.

 

“Peter, if you don’t stay put I’ll have to put you on your leash.” And Peter didn’t doubt that the guy would do it. This wasn’t like that irritating brush where he could growl at Stiles until he picked another one. Stiles would find a way to make him stay put and get that trim. With a petulant whine he conceded to the horrific treatment.

 

* * *

 

 

It actually didn’t look too horrific. As promised, Stiles hadn’t removed all his fur. He had simply took off some of the length. He hadn’t ended up looking like those weirdly shaved show poodles at least. With the fur around the wounds being shorter now, there was less risk of clumps of bloodied hair, but the damage was also a lot more visible. It was going to bitch to get it all healed. It would probably be gone before his hair had grown back, and Peter wouldn’t be able to come back for at least a month to make it a little more believable that he had actually healed. Still, losing a few pounds of fur would also mean there to be less work for Stiles anyways. At least the guy had made sure he was trimmed everywhere, so there would be no awkward empty spots where the fur was a lot less thick.

 

Derek seemed to find it rather hilarious though, even if he frowned at the sight of the long gashes on Peter’s side. “You’ve done a nice job with him. I’m surprised you got him to sit still for a shave.”

 

“Peter might be big, but he knows who the boss is in my parlour.” Stiles chuckled. Peter felt tempted to bite Derek when he laughed as well.

 

 

* * *

 

“Stiles, I can’t come to our date. I’m afraid I need to take a rain check.” Stiles isn’t stupid, which is something Peter usually delights in, but can be quite a problematic when trying to hide his second identity. While most people would find werewolves the most ridiculous idea, Stiles wasn’t most people. If Peter showed up with wounds that are eerily similar to the ones sustained by Peter the dog, he sincerely doubts the guy isn’t going to ask questions.

 

“That sucks, I’m sure we can reschedule…I’m free tomorrow night if you like.” There is something extremely flattering about Stiles’ eagerness for another date. They’ve had several dates by now, ever since the Theo Raeken failure, and Peter honestly hadn’t expected to still be interested in the guy.

 

“I’m sorry, tomorrow is no good either.” His wounds would need a couple of days at the very least.  “How about next Friday.”

 

There is some hesitation on the other end of the line. “Sure…though if there’s something you want to tell me...” Stiles trails off, and Peter wonders for a moment if maybe he’s been caught. “I mean, you don’t sound sick and all, and we never said we would be exclusive or anything..” Oh, so Stiles thought Peter was simply occupied with someone else for the weekend.

 

“Stiles, I’m not seeing anyone else. I just had one of those stomach bugs, and I’m still contagious. I don’t want to end up making you sick as well.” Not the most flattering excuse, but it’s better than the truth or whatever reason Stiles has conjured up as to why Peter would be cancelling.

 

“Oh, yeah, that sucks…well, we can always go on rabbit if you want.”

 

“Stiles, did you get knocked on the head today? Because I have honestly no clue what you’re referring to.” Go on rabbit? What the hell was Stiles talking about?

 

There is some laughter on the other side of the line, and suddenly Peter feels the age difference. Did he miss some kind of technological improvement? He’s pretty up to date technology wise, so really, what had he missed?

 

“R-A-B-B dot I-T. It’s a website. It works a bit like skype, only instead of having to try and start movies and other crap at the same time, you can share it on there. I mean, we wanted to watch a movie right. We can still do that,  if you want that is. I kept my night free for our date anyways.” Peter doesn’t point out that Stiles has most evenings free nowadays. Most of his friends are in committed relationships and steady jobs. Going out partying is slowly happening less and less.

 

“I’ve honestly never heard of such a thing, but I’m willing to try it. I suppose it’s better than having an early night.” Peter hums in agreement. “Text me the address and I’ll check it out.”

 

Stiles was still at work as far as he knew, so he would have more than enough time to make sure that his wounds would be properly covered. Most of the damage was in the chest area anyways, so a shirt would do the trick. The only reason he wasn’t meeting with Stiles in person was because Peter knew that they would end up having sex. Even if he’d be able to stop himself from giving into temptation, and actually tell Stiles no, there was no doubt that the guy’s wandering hands would end up underneath his shirt at some point. Keeping a distance was his only option.

 

Three hours later, Peter finds himself seated in bed, checking himself out on camera. He looked damn fine if he said so himself. He had a bowl of popcorn and some tea –he was supposed to be recovering from a stomach bug-, next to him in a proper little set-up and his clothing covered everything that needed to be covered. He honestly imagined spending a night with Stiles and a movie a little differently, but this was as good as it was going to get tonight. 

 

The website was pretty straightforward, and after texting Stiles his screenname, he just had to wait for the other guy to log in and invite him. There was very little waiting to be done though. Stiles’ face popped up after a moment of the screen going black on the other end, and it was obvious he was still busy with something else.

 

“One sec Peter, I think one of my cables isn’t properly connected.” He curses himself for believing Stiles to be less of a temptation on screen than off screen. Even now, with the dog groomer biting his lip in concentration, Peter is tempted to just screw his entire plan and invite him over anyway. Then Stiles straightens out again and starts rattling about the movie he picked this time and how it was going to blow Peter’s mind. It drags Peter away from his filthy thoughts, though he still wonders whether or not he can convince Stiles to perhaps have cam-sex with him somewhere in the future. The camera just seems to love Stiles.


	6. Meet the parents

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the delay as always. I do hope this chapter cheers some people up though. ^^   
> I'm still in need of a beta btw, in case anyone feels a calling to help me out on this story.

Peter knows he’s a fine specimen. He treats his body like a temple, and he’s well educated, and more than a little wealthy. He isn’t one to date people for more than a night. He can probably count on two hands the amount of people that made it to a second date, not counting some of the regular booty-calls he has the number of. They knew it was no strings attached sex, and some of those had moved on to the married life with kids by now, and no longer were available for him. Peter might be a dick, but he would never actively try to seduce or sleep with married people. Once he spots a ring or hears the words ‘kids’ or ‘husband/wife’ he’s out of there.

Stiles making it not just past a first date, but actually several of them, is a miracle in itself. Still, Peter reminds himself that the guy is a real genius with those fingers of his, and listening to him talk about how great he is also is a perk his other dates hadn’t had before. They’re not exclusive. He’s having fun, and when things get boring, they will end and he’ll just have to go through Stiles moping for a while. It always gets boring at some point down the road.

He knows he should probably make it clear to Stiles that this is a no strings attached, slightly longer than expected, arrangement, but seeing as the beautician didn’t start any conversations about becoming something exclusive Peter doesn’t see why he should. He’s not a coward. He recently faced three wendigos without back-up. He can tell Stiles he’s not looking for anything serious anytime.

Derek knows what Stiles smells like, and he’s been giving him judgy faces ever since he smelled the guy in Peter’s apartment. Derek also told Talia, who since then has been bugging Peter to invite Stiles over for dinner. Anyone who apparently lasts more than three months in keeping Peter’s attention deserves to come to the weekend family dinners. He has absolutely no intention to hand Stiles over to the pack of wolves –both literally and figuratively-, because it would clearly send the wrong message about where this was going between them.

He has been dodging Talia expertly for the past two weeks, but he apparently should have told Stiles as well that there wouldn’t be any ‘meet the parents’ moments for them.

* * *

 

Stiles had stayed the night, after a nice dinner at a fancy French restaurant –which Peter wasn’t going to take Stiles ever again, because the guy had turned white when he had seen the bill at the end-. There had been some protest about going back to Peter’s place, something to do with a family feast, but Stiles clearly couldn’t hold his wine as well as he seemed capable of drinking it. So Peter had set the alarm, and had gotten Stiles into his bed with the honest intention of making sure they had enough time in the morning for Stiles to leave. It wasn’t his fault Stiles looked absolutely delectable in the shower –and there had been no complaints on Stiles’ side either-.

In the mad dash it had taken Stiles after that to get ready, he had left his phone on the bed as he dashed out of the apartment. Peter really should have known better than to try and be helpful. It never worked out for him.

 

* * *

 

“You must be Peter. My son has told me a lot about you.” Sheriff Stilinski  is dressed down in shorts and a simple T-shirt, but somehow he manages to make Peter feel very, very small. He had just planned to drop off the phone and then head back to his own apartment, but of course it couldn’t be Stiles who opened the door.

“Sheriff…it’s nice to meet you.” He hopes that the man doesn’t remember the fact that he once had Peter in his cells for a bar fight when he was still a teen. Somehow, he sincerely doubts that he is that lucky.

“Same here.” If Peter hadn’t been a werewolf, he’s fairly certain his hand would be crushed right about now as the man shakes his. There is no ‘please call me Andrew’ or anything of the sorts. Stiles’ father clearly likes the fact that Peter’s very much uncomfortable with the whole situation. “My son is in the back if you want to speak to him.”  

“That’s not necessary, I only came to drop off his phone.” The ‘ _Which he left at my place after he stayed the night’_ goes unsaid. Peter can hear the noises out back, and he knows that most of Stiles’ family and friends of the family are gathered there. There is only one thing worse than meeting the parents, and that’s meeting the entire family.

 

“I insist. He’ll be disappointed if you don’t say hi.” Yeah, the sheriff is definitely gloating now. The man is close to his retirement, and Peter thinks that basically every bad guy in Beacon Hills will be relieved that they will never have to face this man in an interrogation room. Peter could swear he’s seeing his life flash by in front of his eyes when the front door falls shut behind him.

 

“Stiles, look who I found at our front door.” Of course, the sheriff had to make sure everyone at the party knew he had arrived.

 

“Peter? I didn’t know you were planning to come over. You should have called or something..” Stiles comments when Peter finally manages to get to the other side of the garden where Stiles is manning the barbeque. Clearly he also feels a bit awkward by Peter gatecrashing the family party. The nervousness seems to be more about Peter than about what the rest of the family thinks, because Stiles doesn’t hesitate to give him a kiss in greeting.

 

“I would have, if it wasn’t for the fact that I’m actually here to drop off your phone. You left it at my place when you ran out this morning.” He comments dryly, holding up the phone in question.

 

“Ah right, thanks. I probably would have noticed before, but I was helping my dad with preparations..” The phone slides into the back pocket of Stiles’ jeans, and Peter knows he can leave. There are some curious looks thrown their way, but he can still make a quick exit now Stiles has his phone again.

 

“Stiles, you’re letting the sausages burn.” The sheriff interrupts before Peter can say anything though. “Peter, can you make some space on the table, I’m going to fetch some more from the kitchen.”

 

“Dad, Peter just came to bring by my phone.” Stiles tries to argue, but the man waves away his son’s words. “You’re being rude Stiles. It’s a nice Sunday, I’m sure Peter can stay for some food and beers.”

 

Somehow he finds himself clearing the table, then manning the barbeque –meeting several of Stiles’ family in the process-, and when most of the food has been cleared away there is still some time for beers and discussing the latest events in the world of football. Whenever the prying questions become a little too much, he makes sure to stay near Stiles. If only because he can be sure the Sheriff will not start his shovel talk with his son around…or put a bullet in his head when no-one is looking.

 

* * *

 

By the time the last of the guests leave, he’s dead on his feet. Peter had done court cases with little to no evidence to back his defence, and they had still been easier than evading Aunty Edna and her lack of understanding for personal boundaries.

“Thanks for staying, you know. You didn’t have to do that.” Stiles murmurs as he settles next to Peter on one of the lawn chairs they had put outside.

 

“Have you met your dad? I think he would have put a bullet through my kneecaps if I had said no.” Peter chuckles, making Stiles punch him in the shoulder. There is a grin on Stiles’ lips though, so he doesn’t think he has offended him all that much.

 

“No, he wouldn’t have. I think he actually likes you…even if he’s not going to admit it even on his deathbed.” Peter didn’t get the impression the sheriff liked him all that much, but Stiles probably knew his dad better than he did.

 

“Well, at least I’ve now met every single one of your family members. Please tell me there aren’t more hidden away somewhere. I don’t think I can handle another barbeque anytime soon.” Or ever really.

 

“No, this is about it. You’re actually the first..” Stiles trails off, and it’s clear he’s hesitant about something.

 

“The first what?” He has a feeling he already knows where this is going, but he’s honestly not sure how to deal with it.

 

“I don’t know. What are we? I mean I’ve been introducing you as my boyfriend…” Peter sighs, looking up at the darkened sky, his beer having already become lukewarm in his hands.

 

“I don’t know, Stiles.” To Stiles’ credit, he doesn’t respond in anger, but something in his face shuts down a little.

 

“Ah…yeah, I figured as much. If you didn’t want to be single and unattached, you would have been off the market long before you met me.” Peter can’t help but grin at that, shaking his head. He can’t deny it though. There had been more than enough hopeful candidates and Peter’s certain he could have made one of those relationships work if he had felt the inclination. Still, Peter knows that the moment he tells Stiles he doesn’t want more, it also means there will be no more dates or just the sex. Stiles wants more. He might not expect a marriage proposal, or for Peter to say ‘I love you’ any time soon, but eventually…

 

“Stiles, I simply find the term boyfriend rather juvenile. I’m in my late thirties, even if I look good enough to be in my twenties.” When the guy still looks at him like he’s doubtful of Peter’s words, he knows that’s his last chance to run and never look back. That he’ll actually been in a committed relationship. “I think partner or lover suits me better. Well, I think _exceptional_ lover suits me better but that’s just semantics.”

 

Stiles’ laughter is beautiful, and while Peter can’t help but wonder if he will end up regretting his choice, at that moment he can’t find that claustrophobic feeling he had expected there to be.


	7. Double trouble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really happy with all the awesome reviews I've gotten! I do hope to finish this story at some point. I'm not sure how many chapters this still has left, but I do want to make it to 20K at the very least.

Peter should have known better than to believe his luck wouldn’t run out. His family was a pack of wolves, literally, and while they didn’t like to admit it, there were some similarities with dogs. Mostly that if you gave them a bone, they wouldn’t let it go. Derek had already told them about Stiles, the very young dog beautician who had captured his uncle’s heart. It was surprising how many dirty jokes his nieces and nephews could make about that. He may or may not have threatened a few of them with bodily harm after another joke about him getting a facial.

Keeping Stiles away from his family had become the priority, even if that meant some evasion tactics when Derek came to pick him up from the beauty parlour. Sure, he would have to sacrifice some of his dignity as he pretended to be an unruly dog dragging his owner from the shop, and running into the back the moment it was his turn, but the less time Derek talked to Stiles, the better.

“Are you ashamed of me?” The question startles Peter enough to nearly drop his book. He’s currently in bed with Stiles, who is playing some game on his phone, while Peter reads up on an obscure law for one of his cases. It’s almost painfully domestic, but after nearly four months since their ‘becoming official’ moment, it’s become a familiar scene. So Stiles asking him whether he’s ashamed of him comes out of nowhere for Peter.

“Of course not. I do not feel shame.” Peter huffs, turning another page. Stiles is having one of his ‘insecure’ moments apparently, and Peter has long since learned that offering meaningless platitudes will only make Stiles doubt their sincerity.

“Then why haven’t I met anyone of your family? You’ve met mine, and we’ve gone on a double date with Scott, but I haven’t so much as even heard you talk about yours. I haven’t met any friends either…” Peter sighs, marking the page before shutting his book. Trying to buy himself some time he pretends to need a moment to put his glasses on the bedside table.

“Stiles, I’m just not that close with my family…and most of my friends are work related. It would bore you.” Peter doesn’t have friends like Scott, for which he’s thankful after a rather disastrous double date with the moral veterinarian. His family is simply a no-go. He hadn’t actually imagined it would bother Stiles, but apparently it did.

“So I’m just going to never meet them? I know you still spend time with them. You bought Derek his dog after all. I’m not saying I need to go to the monthly dinners or something, but do they even know I exist?” They knew alright, which was more than Peter even wanted them to know about Stiles.

“Does it really bother you that much?” It wasn’t like Peter had been jumping for joy meeting Stiles’ family. The Sheriff still gave him warning looks every time he was near Stiles.

“Of course it does. I kind of feel like we’re official, but only in secret.” Stiles his jaw is clenched, like he’s ready for a fight, and Peter doesn’t get why Stiles is so defensive about the whole thing.

“Look, Stiles, I have never brought someone along for our family dinners, or meetings. You are going to be jumped the moment we step through the door. I like what we have, and I rather not have my family scare you away.” Not to mention the fact that one of the younger members might let it slip that they are a bit stranger than your average family.

“I’m not that easily frightened, Peter.” Gods, Peter sometimes wished Stiles had more self-preservation.  Maybe then he wouldn’t find the guy balancing precariously on a chair to get something from the top shelf.

“I know…I’m just getting used to the idea that I actually do have someone to introduce.” It’s not entirely a lie, and Peter hoped that Stiles will buy it. He’s still expecting to tire of Stiles at some point, and even if he doesn’t he still would like to keep his family away.

“Fine, I get that, but don’t think I’m letting this go. I want to meet them at some point.” Stiles still isn’t pleased about things, but Peter has bought himself some time at least to figure things out.

 

* * *

 

By the time breakfast rolls around the next day Stiles is back in his usual chipper mood. Peter has made them both waffles with some blueberries, and that along with coffee makes it a pretty good start of the day. So when there is a knock at the door, Peter is tempted not to open it, but Stiles is already up from the table.

“That’s probably Scott, I told him to pick up those DVD’s I left here last weekend. He wants to watch them with Kira.” If Peter was a more jealous man, he would probably stop Stiles from answering the door in just a pair of boxers and Peter’s shirt. Scott isn’t  a threat though, and Peter likes the sight of Stiles in his clothes too much to actually make him change.

“You’re not Scott.”

“You’re not uncle Peter.” Peter freezes. That’s his niece’s voice. Laura sounds both amused and probably a little surprised at how young Stiles truly is. Despite being in his twenties, Stiles still gets carded on a regular basis to Peter’s everlasting amusement.

“Oh My God, you must be Stiles. I’m Cora, Peter’s favourite niece. This is Laura. We’re Derek’s sisters. We’ve heard so much about you. You’re much cuter than Peter said you were.” Oh dear god, has the entire Hale clan shown up at his door? Not wanting to leave Stiles standing there at the door, Peter gets up from the table to figure out how much trouble he’s in.

Thankfully, it’s just his two nieces, but that doesn’t mean the rest isn’t on the way. Cora has already wrapped an arm around Stiles in a friendly hug, and Laura looks faintly unimpressed at his partner. Considering her own choice of preppy university boys, Peter thinks she has no right to judge.

“Cora…Laura…to what do we owe this pleasure?” Stiles looked to be both amused and terrified by the two women who had suddenly barged into Peter’s apartment.

“We’re here by orders of mom. She wants to make sure you got the message about your job for the yearly gathering, and can’t just pretend you never got the memo.” Laura sniffed, while Cora seemed to be permanently glued to Stiles.

“Yeah, so we came over early to see if we could bully you into making us breakfast as well.” Cora was shameless, and she wasn’t wrong about being Peter’s favourite.

“Peter made waffles. There is still enough left I think for you two…” Stiles offered up unhelpfully. There was no way he could get rid of his nieces now.

“Cora, can you please unhand my boyfriend so he can get dressed, and perhaps shut the front door in the process.” There was absolutely no guilt in her eyes as she did as she was told. Stiles however looked a little uncomfortable.

“Right, I should go anyways. I told my dad I’d drop by at some point…” As far as Peter knew Stiles had said no such thing. They had plans for a lazy morning in, and just a little while earlier they had been discussing whether or not to go to a museum a town over. Peter was certain his nieces heard the skip of Stiles’ heart as well as he fibbed.

They thankfully didn’t point it out, though Cora did mouth the word ‘boyfriend’ at him as Stiles went into the bedroom to get changed. Despite all their jokes, they obviously hadn’t expected things to be even remotely serious between him and Stiles. Assured that his nieces would make themselves at home in the kitchen, he followed Stiles. Considering he wasn’t exactly appropriately dressed for company either, he might as well change.

“You didn’t plan to meet up with your dad…” The comment wasn’t an accusation, but Peter was curious why Stiles had lied.

“No, I didn’t, but you don’t want me to meet your family. So I’m going to head out. If they leave on time you can text me and we can still have dinner or something.” Right, Stiles was being helpful here. Sometimes Peter really wanted to punch the person who had caused Stiles to be like this. To always try to please the people around him.

Peter was tempted to let him leave. Everything Stiles would tell Cora and Laura right now would go to the entire family in a matter of hours. By the end of the day Peter would probably be forced to meet Talia to discuss whether or not Stiles should be informed of their family inheritance.

“Stiles, you can stay. Cora might come across as rather brash, but she doesn’t bite…much.” He knew he was whipped alright. Stiles had him wound around his little finger.

“I’m not afraid of Cora, but Laura doesn’t seem to like me very much.” Stiles admitted, glancing at the bedroom door as if the woman in question would come storming in. Peter knew his apartment wasn’t soundproofed enough to keep his nieces from hearing their conversation, so Laura would definitely hear this.

“Laura probably thinks you’re too young for me, or that you’re here for the money…probably both.” Peter snorted. “She has no right to judge however. Her dating history has consisted of various men younger than her, or sleaze balls otherwise.” Laura had just turned thirty-two, and her current lover was twenty-five, who came after the werewolf ex-husband. While everyone else had liked him for the way he had seemed to dote on Laura, Peter had seen his attitude towards everyone he considered ‘less’. Peter was a jackass himself, but he made sure he had a right to be cocky. Laura’s ex-husband had nearly pissed himself when Peter had kicked his ass for leaving his niece and taking half her money. He may not like Laura all that much, but she was family and no one was allowed to shame her like that.  

The age-difference  her and her current lover wasn’t as substantial as that between Peter and Stiles, who had a little over a decade between them, but Stiles was mentally a lot more mature than her recently graduated boy-toy.

“Do you want me to stay, Peter? Be honest about it. I’ll just go and visit my dad.” Somehow Peter feels like he’s being tested right now.

“You know that I preferred to keep you and my family apart, but I’m not ashamed of you. They’ve seen you already, and making you hide away is only going to make their eagerness to meet you worse.” He snorts. “So stay, finish breakfast and don’t let them scare you.”

“Aye aye, captain.” Yeah, most of the time Stiles is more mature than other people his age. Peter is more than happy with the kiss he gets as a thank you. He’s fairly certain that he just bought himself some amazing sex by letting Stiles meet his family properly. Perhaps he should text Chris some time to see if Stiles was interested in meeting his friend as someone other than ‘Allison’s dad’.


	8. Meet the family 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the horribly late update. I've been super busy trying to get everything settled for next year, and I honestly lost a bit of inspiration for this. I've recently been reading a lot more Steter fics again though, and I figured you guys deserved an update. Hopefully the next one will not take as long. I think the story will have about 10 chapters when I'm done.

Peter isn’t all that surprised to find that Stiles and Cora get along splendidly. Laura and Peter spent most of breakfast sharing glares and barbed insults, while Cora took her chance at interrogating Stiles about his life. Cora is Stiles’ age, but has not yet decided on what she wants to do with it. She’s had various jobs, in various countries, and still has no clue what kind of career she’d like to pursue. She has thousands of fun stories to tell though, and while Laura gets Peter to commit to some actual duties for this year’s gathering, Cora and Stiles swap their fun stories about work. When Stiles actually starts on how he believes that maybe being named Peter can even make dogs vain, Peter decides that it’s high time his nieces left them in peace.

“Stiles, if we want to go to that museum, we should really leave soon.” The raised eyebrow makes it clear that Stiles knows he’s just trying to ditch his family, but he doesn’t call him out on it.

“Right, Laura, you need to drop me off at my interview anyways. We can get a coffee on the way.” Cora agrees, getting up from where she’s seated on the couch, giving her sister a pointed look. Peter might never say it out loud, but Cora truly was his absolute favourite. At least she listened when he gave a clear message for them to fuck off.

“You have a job interview?” Stiles questions, getting up alongside her, no doubt to walk them to the door. As if he  lived in Peter’s apartment and he was hosting them. Then again, Peter actually had to make space in his bathroom for Stiles’ cheap brand of shaving appliances. So maybe they were heading in that direction. Wasn’t that a scary thought.  

“Yeah, some bookstore thing. I need the money.” She shrugged, making Peter and Laura give identical sighs. While Peter didn’t mind that Cora didn’t have everything figured out, she kept going from job to job. Nothing seemed to keep her interest long enough to actually bother sticking around, which made her resume a weird collection of jobs, with each only lasting a couple of months to a year at a time.

“Well, let me know how it works out. I’m actually considering maybe hiring someone to help around the beauty parlour with the cleaning and answering the phone and stuff.” Trying to keep a panicky dog from ruining his entire shop while also trying to answer the phone was more difficult than it sounded. Stiles had told him on several occasions that he was considering someone else to help out.  

Peter really hoped Cora got that job at the bookstore. While he adored his niece, he really did not need more ties between his family and Stiles. There are the general exchanged pleasantries, and Laura cheerfully reminded the both of them that they were both invited to the yearly gathering, before he can shut the door in their faces. He waits with his sigh of relief until he’s certain they are out of hearing range.

“Well…should I start inventing an excuse as to why I can’t come to the gathering?” Stiles commented lightly as he collected the dishes to put them in the dishwasher. His tone of voice might have been able to fool Peter, if it wasn’t for the clear heartbeat that had just gone up a notch. Stiles wants to go. He wants to meet the family. Not because he cares all that much about them, but he wants to hear Peter acknowledge him. Counting backwards, he’s surprised to realise that they’ve been seeing each other for almost a year now.   
  
“No, you should come. Cora clearly adores you.” He wasn’t all that certain about the rest of his family, but Stiles deserved to know what he was getting into. It takes Peter by surprise that he’s actually more worried about the fact that Stiles might be scared off, than the fact that he’s in a serious enough relationship to actually have the guy meet the family. 

* * *

  
  
“Okay, I knew you guys were rich, but this is insane.” Stiles comments as he stares up at the house in front of them. Peter has to admit that the Hale house still manages to impress him, and he’s lived there for a big part of his life.   
  
“You can still leave. I think you have about five seconds left until you’re spotted and forced to join them.” He teased, though there is still a small part of him that hopes that Stiles will go. Beautifully stubborn Stiles only squares his jaw though.   
  
“No, I made this food for a reason. I am meeting your family.” The covered tin in his hands is held in front of him as if it’s a shield as he marches them both up to the front door.   


Despite all of Peter’s pleading, Stiles refused to just let him bring a bottle of wine from Peter’s collection. It was a weekend that would mostly be spent eating food, so Stiles was bringing food. The Polish finger food, of which Peter could not pronounce the name even if he wanted to,  was surprisingly delicious. Stiles had baked various batches to make sure he would only be taking the best of the best, and Peter had eagerly devoured those that didn’t make the cut. At least he could gorge himself on those if Stiles ran out after five minutes with Peter’s family.   
  
“You must be Stiles.”  Talia looks stunning in her summer dress, but her eyes are anything but warm as she assessed Peter’s boyfriend. “I’ve heard so much about you.”   
  
“I’ve heard a lot about you too. I’m guessing you’re his sister.” Stiles doesn’t cower, but meets her stare head on and it makes Peter want to preen. Humans might not be as aware as werewolves are, but even they usually felt a natural urge to submit to an alpha. Lack of self-preservation notwithstanding, Stiles is gorgeous as he defies her.  Apparently it’s a trait Talia seems to appreciate, because she instantly warms up to him. “I can see why he likes you. You can go straight on through. Everyone else is out back.”   
  
Stiles throws him a questioning look, but Peter is about as clueless as he is. Talia generally likes her rules to be obeyed. Challenging her like that should be grounds for dislike rather than gaining her approval. There is no time to discuss it however as they move through the backdoor and into the garden. The sudden quieting of the crowd  feels deafening to Peter, even if there is still more than enough noise. It’s clear that everyone is curious about the guy that actually managed to come as Peter’s plus one, but no one dares to outright stare. Thankfully Cora has no problem with being highly inappropriate, and within seconds Stiles is being dragged away to the table to put his dish down. Leaving Peter open for an attack. 

* * *

 

“He’s a little young, isn’t he?” It’s Talia, who pops up behind him, following Stiles as he’s dragged around by Cora to go talk to Derek.   
  
“I know you’ve done a background check on him, so I doubt I have to point out to you that he’s very much legal. ” Peter doesn’t want to fight with his sister, but he doesn’t see why everyone is so bothered by the age difference. Had Stiles been barely legal, he would have understood, but the guy is in his twenties and more than enough of an adult to handle Peter.   
  
“It was merely an observation, Peter. I can see why you like him. He would make a magnificent wolf. He’s as stubborn as you are.” She humms, not all that bothered by him sniping at her.   
  
Peter has to admit that the thought had crossed his mind as well. Stiles was ferocious, loyal, and stubborn in a way that Peter found it both endearing and annoying in equal measure. Stiles would have made a fantastic wolf had he been born one.   
  
“So what’s your issue with him? There must be something.” There was always something wrong with Peter’s choices. Whether it was his career, or his love life, Talia always had an opinion.   


“There is nothing wrong with him, but do you think he’ll accept you for what you are? Especially considering you’ve kept up your appointments with him as Derek’s dog.” It made his teeth clench as she brought it up. She had already called him about it when he had confirmed that Stiles would be attending with him, but apparently she felt they needed another heart to heart.   
  
“Talia, I’ve told you before. He doesn’t need to know. Not yet. It’s barely been a year.” He resisted the urge to bare his neck when she glared at him for his prissy attitude.   
  
“With your track-record, a year is practically a marriage proposal.” The idea alone made him splutter. They were nowhere near marriage, and he wasn’t planning to make that step any time soon. “You need to tell him, Peter. I’ve told the kids to keep their shifting to themselves, but they’re just children. You can’t keep it from him forever.”   
  
Peter hated it when his sister was actually in the right. Talia’s own children were grown, but there were more Hales on the family tree. Teenagers still had trouble with controlling their shifts, and to try and keep a five year old from bursting fangs when throwing a temper tantrum was nearly impossible. Stiles would be less than impressed with him if Peter said ‘Surprise’ when he literally nearly got his hand bitten off by a Hale relative. Still, watching Stiles chat with his family, he couldn’t help but dread the moment he’d have to make that confession. It would also mean that he’d have to confess to coming to Stiles for a weekly grooming and gossip session. He smiled when the guy in question caught his eye. It could wait for a little while longer. The Hale family was terrifying enough without their claws out.   
  
Of course, that’s when it all went to hell.     


	9. The bachelor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is still an epilogue after this one, and then I'm done with this story.

Children are notoriously temperamental. They can either be angels or devils, and in Peter’s opinion there are very few in-betweens. The afternoon had seemed to be going well, with Stiles being introduced to one person after the other as they all wanted to meet the squishy human they had heard so much about –from his niece and nephew of course, not from Peter-. He only manages to secure some time with Stiles alone after cornering him in the kitchen. Unfortunately his boyfriend is hell bent on making a good impression on Peter’s family, and considers sneaking out to be something that goes directly against that plan.  
  
It’s somewhere after dessert has been handed out that the disruptions start.

The Hale family is a large one, with his cousins and such pro-creating as if it’s their god given mission. Peter can see the irony in that given as there probably isn’t a more atheist family around for miles. As such, it means that there are almost fifteen children running around under the age of ten. Some are human, but most are born wolves. Combining hyper active kids with a sweet dessert was  just asking for trouble.  
  
It’s not entirely clear who started it, but in the span of five minutes the kids go from screams of joy to screams of anger. Something about one getting more than the others, or maybe a dessert getting knocked out of another kid’s hands,  starts a riot amongst them. In a normal family, that might not have been such a problem. When you take into account the more animalistic gene involved, it becomes a little more complicated. The screaming has drawn the attention of the adults, including Stiles, and they all watch as the kids bicker amongst themselves –the parents telling them to calm down from the side-lines-. It happens in a flash. One moment it’s two cute looking kids yelling and crying, and the next they’ve sprouted claws and jumping one another with murderous intent.  
  
In all the commotion, Stiles is completely forgotten by the parents as they rush off to separate the rascals, with Talia giving her alpha growl to make them listen. They might not be able to kill each other, but their clothes being shredded wasn’t exactly a joy either.  
  
Peter doesn’t care for the rowdy children however. He only cares about the fact that his boyfriend looks pale as a sheet as he watches the Hale family settle what should be a normal children spat with claws and canines. Within seconds Stiles is up from the table and heading for the door.

“Stiles…” He starts, already following the guy down the lawn.  
  
“Don’t Peter. Don’t you fucking dare.” For a moment Peter thinks it’s shock that’s causing Stiles to lash out, but when the guy looks at him it’s not surprise but anger that faces him. “I was already wondering why there were no dogs around when I know for a fact Derek still lives here. It’s rather hard to hide a dog that big.”  
  
“Stiles, can you please let me explain.” Peter loves that Stiles is always quick on the uptake, but now he wished that the beautician wasn’t as fast to connect the dots.  
  
“To explain what to me, Peter? Honestly, I’m not sure what I’m more pissed off about. The fact that you didn’t bother to tell me that I was walking into some weird sci-fi shit here, or that I apparently have been spied on by you in dog form. I’m sure you got a kick out of that.”  Peter is a world-renowned lawyer. He’s supposed to be quick on his feet, and never at a loss for words. Right now, he can’t formulate his own defence however. There is nothing to say.  
  
“Stiles…please, keep this to yourself. We pride ourselves on keeping this hidden.” The look of pure hatred on Stiles’ face hurts probably more than any kind of battle wounds he’s had.  
  
“Don’t worry, Peter. Who would believe me anyways?” Stiles leaves without looking back, and Peter waits for more pain to come, but all he feels is empty. 

* * *

  
“You need to talk to him.” Derek growls, staring down the beautician from across the counter. Stiles hardly looks impressed, and it’s frustrating.  
  
“I don’t need to do anything. He’s the one who lied to me. You actually lied to me. Why would I want to have anything to do with your family?” Derek would completely agree with him, but it had been three months already, and he was going insane.  
  
“Peter is moping. Actually moping. Do you know how weird it is to see my uncle eating ice cream from a tub, watching some re-runs of the bachelor?” Peter had been absent for almost an entire month, which had made Talia worry enough to send Derek over. The image of Peter with greasy hair and unkempt nails was still one of nightmares.  “What he did was incredibly stupid, but I can honestly say that he didn’t know you when he first came here.”  
  
“Even if he came here without knowing who I was, he still went out of his way to date me after that, and he didn’t bother to think that maybe he should cancel his appointments here.” Yeah, Peter had been an idiot.  
  
“My uncle is picky. Do you know how many parlours I’ve had to take him to over the years? I’ve been all over the county, and not one of them he liked as much as yours. You’ve seen his bathroom, does he seem like the kind of guy to give up his beauty routines for anyone?” Hell, Peter would actually take his time to trim his nails and clean them after a fight.  
  
“Derek, I told him a lot of stuff I would have never told him had I known it was him. Aside from the fact that this stuff isn’t supposed to happen in real life, if he had just fucking told me earlier on I would have continued his appointments without embarrassing myself for his own sick amusement.” Stiles looks genuinely upset, and Derek kind of hates his uncle for it. Stiles didn’t deserve to have his privacy violated like that.  
  
“I don’t think he expected things to last. I don’t think anyone ever makes it beyond a few dates, and he’s never ever taken someone to meet the family. Would you have believed him if he had told you we were werewolves?” Derek would never owe his uncle anything after this.

“I don’t know, but he didn’t exactly give me a chance to either. I don’t want him in my life anymore.” There is a blip in Stiles’ heartbeat, and judging by the dark bags underneath Stiles’ eyes, he’s as miserable as Peter is.  
  
“Just talk to him. If only so you can both move on, because I don’t think Peter can get more depressed than this. Re-runs of ‘the bachelor’, Stiles.” Derek leaves before Stiles can protest once more. They both know it would be a lie anyways. Stiles will go and see Peter, if only to see for himself that the man is just as miserable as he is. 

* * *

 

Peter didn’t know he was capable of feeling this lethargic. The empty feeling in his chest doesn’t lessen over time. If anything, it gets worse. Peter justifies his own refusal to try and see Stiles by telling himself that he’s giving the guy space. It’s a big thing to take in after all, and he deserves some time. After two weeks, he tells himself that he doesn’t need Stiles. If the beautician still hasn’t bothered to contact him, then he probably doesn’t want to continue their relationship. It’s alright. Peter has never been particularly good at them anyways. He might have thought he would be the man to do the dumping, but Stiles doing it for him only saves him work.

Four weeks in and his wolf is whining at him. Their usual Friday appointment with Stiles comes and goes, and he misses the guy. Grooming himself, human or otherwise, reminds him too much of his ex-lover, and so Peter stays away from the mirrors. He showers once every so often because even he can’t stand the smell after a while, and just hogs the couch.

His co-workers are surprised that he’s taken a leave of absence. Peter hasn’t taken a break in all the years he’s worked with them. It’s the reason why he’s high enough up in the food chain to actually leave for a few months without repercussions. It doesn’t make him feel any better though.  
  
Stiles had ingrained himself in Peter’s life, and the wolf has no idea how to go about erasing those marks. The new DVD’s in his collection, the clothes in the drawer that somehow had become Stiles’. They are all symbols of how much the other had become part of his life, and throwing it all out meant closing that chapter. Despite all his mental rebukes that he’s better than this, that he’s always been a lone wolf, Peter still can’t make himself throw them out.

So he sits on the couch and he pretends to care whether the current man chooses a blonde or a brunette to spend his life with. It’s not helping, but nothing else seems to do it for him either.

He plans to tell Derek to fuck off when there is a knock at the door, but then he hears the heartbeat. That’s not Derek. That’s Stiles, and from the sound of it he’s about as nervous as Peter suddenly feels. This is not the way he wanted to meet the guy again. He wanted to look suave and put together. Preferably with some hot model on his arm to show Stiles that he’s over him already. Unfortunately, sweatpants and a T-shirt that has a stain on it will simply have to do.

“Stiles…” His nails are digging into the side of the door, and he actually has to force himself not to run away from this confrontation. The only comfort he has is that Stiles looks about as wrecked as he does.  
  
“You listened to me talk about all that was going on in my life. I really hate you for that.” Peter doesn’t have anything to say that can actually make him sound less of a dick, so he just keeps quiet. Stiles looks like he’s about to start a huge rant about all the ways that he hates Peter, but then he just slumps forward. It actually makes Peter hurt to know he made the guy feel this miserable. “But I also really miss you.”  
  
“Stiles, I’m sorry. I should have told you, or stopped the appointments, but I enjoyed them too much. I didn’t want to have to choose, because you’re the best dog trimmer I’ve been to, but I also wanted you in my bed.” Peter starts, but then he sighs and motions for Stiles to come in. This is not a conversation to hold out in the hallway. His neighbours were about as nosy as his family was. “I liked listening to you list all the ways I had a perfect dick, and how you enjoyed being with me. I’m not ashamed to admit that, but I do realise how it violated your privacy.”

Peter isn’t one for apologies. This isn’t exactly the first fight between him and Stiles, but it’s the first serious one. It’s not about missed phone calls, or being too distracting when work needs to be done. This can and probably is the official end of their relationship. Something Peter is reluctant to let happen.

“You were the one to approach me. You were the one to take me home that night. So why did you?” Stiles probably envisions him as some kind of glorified stalker. To be fair, telling him that he simply didn’t want him dating Derek might not be the best excuse either.  
  
“I did. You were complaining about having a dry spell. I liked the way you looked, and I figured that one night couldn’t hurt. I didn’t plan to let you stay till the morning, much less invite you out for a second date. I simply figured we could both have a good time.” It was the truth, even if Peter had also intended it as a way to keep Derek away from Stiles.  
  
“So what? You asked me out a second time because it was so much fun to hear about it at the salon with your next appointment.” Peter knows Stiles has a right to be mad, but he doesn’t like to be accused of doing all of this just for a few compliments.  
  
“Stiles, I accept the fact that you’re mad at me. You have every right to. Maybe I didn’t have the purest intentions when I picked you up in a bar, but you didn’t even bother to ask my name before you went home with me.  I asked you out a second time because we had a good time. I didn’t expect things to last as long as they did, and I didn’t see why I should stop my appointments with you when this was going to end a few weeks down the road anyway.  It didn’t end, and by then you had already told me enough things to make this conversation awkward no matter when I told you. Most people don’t take other people being werewolves very well to begin with.” Peter had been scared Stiles would run, and clearly he had been right if their current fight was any indication.

“I’m not most people, Peter.” Stiles is being just as snappy as he is, and he looks gorgeous all fired up.  
  
“Really, because the way I see it, you’re here to break up this relationship, so how is it not turning out exactly as I expected?” It hurts. It really fucking hurts. Peter longs for that feeling of emptiness again.  
  
“Do you love me?” The question comes out of the blue, and all the proverbial hackles that Peter has raised go down in a flash.  
  
“What?”  
  
“You heard me. Do you love me? I want to know.” It’s a completely different train of thought, and Peter isn’t actual sure of where Stiles is going with it.  
  
“Of course I love you. I thought that I’ve been more than clear about that.” He hasn’t said it, but his actions had implied it, hadn’t they? He’d taken Stiles out to meet the family after all.  
  
“People actually like to hear it once in a while.” Stiles huffs, and he wants to give the guy some snappy retort but suddenly they are kissing and he really can’t be bothered. Stiles is pressed up against him, his hand pressed against Peter’s neck, and Peter just melts into it.  
  
“You still owe me big time for this, don’t think you’re off the hook that easily…but I’m not done with you yet, Peter Hale.” Stiles warns him when they break apart, but then the guy is all smiles again. “I love you too much for that.”


	10. Cheese!

It’s humiliating. That’s really the only thing that Peter can think of as Stiles fiddles around with his fur.  When Peter had considered Stiles’ possible ideas for payback, he had not put this one on the list. Somehow the guy managed to make a request that Peter could not refuse, and yet would haunt and humiliate him for the rest of his life. If it wasn’t him that was suffering, he could probably appreciate the absolute deviousness of it.   
  
“Alright, Cora, do you have the camera set up?” His niece, who is now happily working as Stiles’ assistant, takes an absolute joy in his torment.

“I think it looks good Stiles. The family is going to love this.” Of course they were. His utter humiliation was always something they would revel in. Traitors. All of them were traitors.

“Peter, stop glaring. You’re supposed to be cheerful. You’re doing this for a good cause, remember.” Stiles gives him a look that reminds Peter it’s not just the charity he’s talking about.

It had taken Stiles quite a while to actually come to him with his demands. To be honest, Peter had figured the threat had more been for show than anything by that time. Stiles had moved in with him, they were doing well, and Peter was still getting his weekly treatments. He should not have let himself be lulled into that false sense of security. Stiles could hold a grudge like the best of them, and Peter had been blindsided. The guy was smart enough not to ask for something Peter would not be able to live with, but he thinks that this might be a close second. For the past four hours Stiles has had him sit through various Christmas themed landscapes, making him do stupid poses, and wear scarves and reindeer horns…while in his wolf form. The pictures would be made into Christmas cards that Stiles would sell in his store for charity, and possibly a minor profit.

Currently he’s supposed to be  Rudolph. A red flashy nose, the antlers and a collar that jingles for fucks sake. He is even wearing a leather harness that might have been sexy had he not been in his wolf form. Stiles is still setting things up for this scene which leaves Cora to amuse herself by just looking at her uncle. Oh if only the hunters could see him now. It’s horrifying.

A glint out of the corner of his eye reminds him why he is willing to do it. Stiles’ ring is nothing flashy. Just a simple platinum band, and he knew that the family thought it had been the wrong choice. Peter was all about flashy after all. His engagement should deserve the most stunning of rings to go along with it. He knew Stiles wouldn’t want that though. It was obvious that the luxury of Peter’s place still made the guy uncomfortable.

It wasn’t that Stiles was not flashy in his own way. He was loud, wore obnoxious shirts, and he spoke up when he felt it was needed. That was Stiles’ personality. He was not for the extremely expensive cars and luxuries living spaces, even if he might enjoy them on occasion. A flashy ring would not have suited him at all, and Peter had chosen a simple design exactly for that reason. Besides, it was still platinum. It wasn’t like Peter had gone for a simple silver one.

So when Stiles finally decides that everything is positioned just right, Peter waits for his orders. He doesn’t give a shit about making money for some charity at the hospital. He might feel more than a little miffed about these cards being sold, and the humiliation of it, but he knows that in the long run he doesn’t care about that either. Stiles staying with him for the rest of his life does matter though. So he sucks it up, and he lets his niece laugh her ass off as he puts on a big smile for the camera.  Stiles’ answering grin is worth more than his vanity. Besides, he looks damn good in these Christmas cards, if he says so himself. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this is so short. I was planning to make a longer chapter, but real life has gotten in the way, and I really don't have the time. I did want to give you guys a final chapter though, to round the story up. 
> 
> PS: if anyone ends up drawing this, you have my everlasting gratitude, and please send me a link ^^. I will put it up with the chapter with of course a link to the artist.


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